title: Regulation of neurotransmitter release kinetics by NSF.
abstract: NSF (N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor) is an adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) that contributes to a protein complex essential for membrane fusion. The synaptic function of this protein was investigated by injecting, into the giant presynaptic terminal of squid, peptides that inhibit the ATPase activity of NSF stimulated by the soluble NSF attachment protein (SNAP). These peptides reduced the amount and slowed the kinetics of neurotransmitter release as a result of actions that required vesicle turnover and occurred at a step subsequent to vesicle docking. These results define NSF as an essential participant in synaptic vesicle exocytosis that regulates the kinetics of neurotransmitter release and, thereby, the integrative properties of synapses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
authors.forename: F E
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: Schweizer
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dresbach
authors.forename: W M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: DeBello
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: O'Connor
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Augustine
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Betz
mesh_terms: D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D049832:Decapodiformes; D019706:Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials; D005089:Exocytosis; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D007700:Kinetics; D008561:Membrane Fusion; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D052066:N-Ethylmaleimide-Sensitive Proteins; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents / Q000378:metabolism*; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000494:pharmacology; D017729:Presynaptic Terminals / Q000378:metabolism*; D052067:Soluble N-Ethylmaleimide-Sensitive Factor Attachment Proteins; D009435:Synaptic Transmission; D013572:Synaptic Vesicles / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D033921:Vesicular Transport Proteins
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D052067:Soluble N-Ethylmaleimide-Sensitive Factor Attachment Proteins; D033921:Vesicular Transport Proteins; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases; D052066:N-Ethylmaleimide-Sensitive Proteins; D002118:Calcium